Valve-stem closure



Jan. 30, 1923.

1,443,387 C, T. SHAFFER. v VALVE STEM CLOSURE.

ORIGINAL FILED SEPT. 10, 1917.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jail. 30, 1923.

mm stares PATENT r ca,

OLEVE r. snarrnnor sla n rniinorsoo, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR ro nsonniinnns SOMINCORPORATED, or BROOKLYN, new

YORK, A CORPORATION OElhTEW YORKQ.

VALVE-STEM CLGSURE.

Application filed september 10, 1917, Serial No. 190,443.

To, all whom it may concern."

.Be it knownv that I, CLnvn T,S1-IAFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State ott California, have invented certain new and useful improvements inv Valve Stem Closures, oliwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in dust guards for valve stems, and is designed for protecting the valve stem and at the same time,to provide a hermetic seal for the open end of the valve, thus dispensing with the valve cap which is now employed in connection with the present form of dust guard.

Tlhe present invention has for its principal objects to provide a construction which is capable of loose positioning on the valve stem, and on a slight rotative movement 'thereo't, adapted to be locked thereon,

- construction, which is designed particularly for, use in connection with the present form of valve stem which is formed with longi tudinal extending flat faces at opposite sides thereof, which provide an interrupted thread extending for the full length of the stem.

The invention consists broadly in a body member, provided adjacent its lower edges with an inwardly projecting portion, which is adapted, when positioning or removing the body from the stem, to lie adjacent the interrupted portions of thethread of said stem, and is adapted on the rotatingo-f the body, to engage the threads on the StQDT and tightly d awthe body over the open end of the stem, thus sealing the. stem and protecting the body thereof- Withthe above mentioned and other objects in viewythe inventionconsists in the novel construction and combination of parts, herein fter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the torimproportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from Renewed April 6, 1921. seriarno. 459,012.

the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvan. tages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings wherein, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionalview of the preferred embodiment of my invention loosely positioned, on the valve stem.

F1g. 2, 1s a view similar to Fig. 1, illus-.

,trating the body member rotated, to posi-. tion, the inturned thread engaging portion.

thereof in engagement with the threads of the stem.

F 3 is a; sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view in plan of the lower end of the guard. i

Referring more particularly to the several views of the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts, 1. indicates a wheel felloe, through which projects thetire valve stem 2, the stem. being secured or retained in position relative to the fello'e by a nut The stem is threaded for its full length as at 4, and said threads are interrupted at Fi i is a sectional view taken on the diametrically opposite sides of thestem by the flat longitudinally extending portions 5, said stem also being provided. with a small upper end 6, which is adapted to receive thequsual valve cap, not illustrated. The stem, as illustrated, is of the form now universally in use, and in some cases, the nut 3 is employed and other cases,it is dispensed with, this being optional with the user.

My improved dust guard, comprises a tu bular body 7-, closed at its upper. end as at i 8, and open at its opposite or lowerend; the body being of a, diameter approximately the same as that of the stem. The lower edge of the body at diametricallyopposite sides, is turned in as at 8', providing a thread engaging portion which is adapted when the body is slipped downwardly over the stem or withdrawn from the. same, to lie parallel with the flat faces 5 and when it is desired to secure the body onto the stein, said thread engaging portions are adapted to engage the threads of the stem as in Figs. 2 and 4 by one-quarter rotation of the body. The body when positioned on the stern and pressed downwardly during the one-quarter rotation of the same is adapted to force a sealing member 10, carried in the upper end of the body tightly into contact with the open upper end of the stem, thus sealing the same and preventing the escape of theair pressure therefrom.

This construction enables the guard to be easily positioned on, or removed from the stem, and enables the sealing member to be drawn tightly into contact with the upper end of the stem by a onequarter turn of the body relative to the stem. The body is of a length approximatelyone-half of that of the valve stem, thus adapting the same for use in connection with the stems which only project through the felloe a short distance, as it is necessary to enable the sealing member to vloe drawn tightly into contact with the upper open end of the valve stem that the lower end of the body or guard member fall short of contacting with the nut 3.

In order to, enclose that portion of the stem below the lower end of the dust guard, an open shell or sleeve 11 is slidably mounted. upon the body 7 in frictional contact therewith, and from the drawings, it will be apparent that when the body is in position, with the sealing member in contact with the open upper end of the stem, that said shell is moved longitudinally thereof, so that the lower end will contact with the nut 3 and enclose the stem. It is desired that this shell be maintained in its adjusted position due to frictional contact with the body 7, however, the centrifugal force of the rotating wheel will also tend to maintain the shell or sleeve in the desired position. To facilitate the removing of the body 7 from the stem and to prevent the shell. or sleeve from passing upwardly over the upper end of the body, an enlarged annular portion 12 is formed thereon and if desirable the same may be knurled.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: p i

1. In combination with a threaded valve stem substantially oval in cross section, a

sheet metal dust guard for detachably positioning thereon to enclose the same and comprising a pair of telescopic tubular members, one of said members being formed with unbroken side-walls and being closed at its outer end, the extreme inner end thereotbeing inwardly turned or bent opposite sides to provide thread engaging portions arranged diametrically opposite each other to engage the threads of said stem, and a sealing member within the outer closed end 'otsaid'first mentioned member, the other of said members adapted for sliding longitudinally of said first mentioned member and projecting below the inner end thereof and enclosing the base of said valve stem.

2. In combination with a threaded. valve stem substantially oval in crosssection, a sheet metal dust guard for detachably positioning thereon to enclose the same and comprising a member formed with unbroken side walls and closed at its outer end, the .eX-

treme inner edge thereof being inwardly turned or bent at opposite sides to provide thread engaging portions arranged opposite each other toengage the threads of the stem, and a sealing member within the outer closed end of said member, cooperating with said thread engaging portions to hold the cap on the stem. i I

3. A dust cap for tire valves or the like, comprising a pair of trictionally engaged telescoping members, the inner member of which has means for engaging a valve stem to hold the cap thereon and for sealing the end of said valve stem, said means comprising a sealing gasket positioned within the closed end 01 the member.

at. A dust cap for tire valves or the like, comprising a pair of frictionally engaged telescoping members, the inner member of which has means for engaging a valve stem to holdthe cap thereonand for sealing the end of said valve stem, said means being located a fixed distance apart.

5. A dust cap for tire valves or the like, comprising a shell portion and a valve cap portion telescopically associated therewith, the valve cap portion being provided with a valve stem sealing gasket in its closed end and at its open end with means for directly engaging a valve stem to hold the cap thereon, the shell portion being free from engagement with the valve stem.

6. A dust cap or the like, adapted for en.- closing valve stems of various lengths, comprising a pair of frictionally engaged telescoping members, the inner member of which has means for engaging the threads on a valve stem a fixed distance below the top thereof to hold the cap thereon, and a sealing gasket in its closed end adapted to engage the end of the valve stem, and the outer member being freeof engagement with the valve stem and adapted to seat against a rim nut or wheel telly.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of a subscribing witness.

CLEVE T. SHAFFER. Witness:

D.,B. RICHARDS. 

